Hard to Say Goodbye
by Emery Saks
Summary: Peggy Carter and Howard Stark have to take yet another trip to Washington, D.C. in order to found S.H.I.E.L.D., but when Peggy tells Angie goodbye, their feelings for one another are inadvertently revealed... in front of Howard.


Peggy Carter did not want to get into the car she knew was waiting for her downstairs. She was in no mood to leave her home and accompany Howard Stark to Washington, D.C. for yet _another_ round of meetings. Most importantly, she had no desire to abscond for four more days after having only slept in her own bed and seen her best friend and roommate for a mere day, and she knew Angie felt the same way.

The Italian woman had stayed practically glued to Peggy's side the evening before while they ate dinner and then again when they retired to the study where Angie caught Peggy up on everything that had happened while she'd been gone for the past week.

Yet here she was, _again_ , standing in the front foyer, checking the buckles on her bag one last time as she desperately tried to avoid the sadness reflected in Angie's watchful eyes. When she straightened, she finally met Angie's gaze.

"I wish I didn't have to leave so soon, darling," Peggy said ruefully.

"Me neither," Angie sighed. "I feel like we hardly ever see each other anymore, Pegs."

Peggy frowned. Angie wasn't wrong. Ever since Howard recruited her two months ago to head up a new agency for the U.S. government, she'd spent most of her time traveling back and forth between New York City and Washington, D.C., and she had the sneaking suspicion the capital city might become her new home before too much longer. However, she hadn't yet voiced that thought to Angie, and she wouldn't until she was absolutely certain a move was necessary and had determined a way to convince the younger woman to come with her. So instead, Peggy simply nodded.

"I know, and I'm sorry," she acknowledged. "But I promise I'll return home as quickly as possible."

Angie shrugged. "It's okay," she said in a tone that clearly conveyed it was not. Peggy winced, knowing there was nothing she could say. The truth was she'd spent more time in hotels lately than she had at her own home, and both she and Angie knew it. But Peggy also knew Angie was trying to stay positive. She watched as the younger woman reached out and needlessly straightened her coat for her, smoothing non-existent wrinkles from the lapels and giving the knot on her belt a quick tug before leaning forward and enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Don't be too hard on those D.C. boys, Peg," she teased, affection seeping into her voice despite her sadness.

"I can't make any promises as to that," Peggy laughed as Angie released her. "But I do promise to call you while I'm there."

"You better," Angie scowled, but the playful glint in her eyes softened belied her strong words. She looked as if she might say more but was cut short when the doorbell began to buzz. And buzz. And buzz. When it became obvious that someone was laying in on the doorbell, Peggy spun around and yanked the front door open, not even bothering to confirm the culprit before launching into a tirade.

"Oh honestly, Howard!" she exclaimed. "You are worse than a child!"

Howard didn't even look ashamed. "We gotta' go, Pegs. Otherwise, we'll miss our flight."

"If only we could be that fortunate," she muttered, but she picked up her bag and gave Angie one last smile. "I'll call you," she promised again.

"I'm holding ya' to that, English," she said before turning to Howard with a smirk. "Try not to get slapped this time."

Howard's eyes widened, and he glared at Peggy. "You told her?" he asked accusingly.

Taking him by the arm, Peggy led Howard through the front door and toward the elevator. She could hear Angie's laughter as the door closed behind them. "Of course I told her," she said. "I tell Angie all the amusing stories that concern you."

Howard looked offended. "Well maybe I should tell her some of the stories involving you, like that one involving the Howling Commandos and that night at that Austrian safe house."

Peggy's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."

The elevator doors opened and Howard stepped inside. "I just might," he retorted, pressing the lobby button.

"Peggy, wait! You forgot your umbrella!"

Peggy turned to see Angie rush out their door, umbrella in hand. "Hold the elevator," Peggy called back to Howard as she moved to meet Angie.

"Geez, Peg, with all the complaining you did about rain last night, I can't believe you forgot this," she said, holding the handle toward Peggy.

Peggy smiled at her gratefully. "Nor can I," she admitted. "Thank you for remembering." She took the umbrella and tucked it under her arm.

"C'mon Peggy. Airport. Airplane. We're going to miss it," Howard called out.

Angie ignored him and smiled at Peggy. "What kind of roommate would I be if I let you get soaked?"

Peggy laughed. "Indeed."

Behind her, Howard piped up again. "Geez, Carter, it's not like you don't live with the woman. Say goodbye already, and let's get going."

Peggy's eyes slid shut, and she sighed. "At this rate, he'll be lucky to survive the drive to the airport," she muttered before turning to the man in question. "Perhaps I should tell Angie about the incident in Portugal?"

Howard crossed his arms. "And maybe I should tell her about that time in Lucerne."

Peggy glared at him. "There's absolutely no call for you to bring up Lucerne, Howard Stark."

"And there's reason for you to mention, Portugal?" he accused.

Peggy heard Angie chuckle behind her and felt her hand descend on her forearm.

"All right, Pegs, you have the umbrella. Have a fun trip and try not to murder Howard, okay?"

Distracted, as Howard called out yet another incident of which he could inform Angie, Peggy turned back to her roommate and murmured a careless, "Yes. Thank you, darling. I'll try," and then, without conscious thought, bent forward and dropped a kiss against Angie's pink lips.

Time seemed to slow as she pulled away and her brain processed what she'd just done, but it sped back up when Howard released a surprised yelp. Peggy jumped back, startled, and spun around to find him standing there, mouth hanging open in shock. Lifting his finger off the hold button, he began vigorously pointing back and forth between her and Angie and started to say something, but at that exact moment, the doors slid closed and the elevator descended.

Peggy stared at the doors for a few seconds, processing what had just occurred. She honestly couldn't recall the last time she'd seen Howard Stark speechless, and speaking of silence, her usually ebullient roommate hadn't uttered a word yet, either. She braced herself and slowly turned to find a similar look of disbelief mirrored on Angie's stunned features.

Peggy's bag slipped from her fingers to land on the floor with a muted thud, and a look of utter consternation settled across Peggy's features. When she finally found her voice, it was soft and unsure.

"Angie, I am so sorry," she apologized, embarrassment tinging her words. "I don't know whatever possessed me to do that."

Angie looked at her searchingly before stepping forward. "Probably the same thing that's possessed me," she murmured before intentionally pressing her lips against Peggy's for another kiss.

Peggy's hands instantly came up and buried themselves in Angie's curls as her lips moved against Angie's – tasting, testing, teasing.

When they eventually pulled apart, they stared at one another, not saying anything. Peggy, for her part, ran through everything that had just occurred, quietly assessing what it all meant and how it would affect them moving forward. Silence surrounded them until the soft hum of a rising elevator crept into the lobby.

Peggy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I imagine that will be Howard."

Angie bit her lower lip and reached out to straighten Peggy's suit jacket as Peggy raised a hand to tuck a stray curl behind Angie's ear, fingers curling around the smooth skin there. 

"I am going to call you from Washington tonight," she promised, touching her forehead to Angie's. "We have much to discuss, and it can't wait four days."

Angie bobbed her head.

"After that," Peggy continued. "I'm going to work out how you can accompany me on the next trip, all right?"

That announcement elicited a pleased smile from Angie, and Peggy felt her own heartbeat quicken at Angie's happiness. Her hands drifted down until her fingers locked with Angie's, and she tugged her roommate closer. Her gaze softening even more, she leaned forward until their lips were almost touching. "And now, I think it best if you're inside before Howard reappears."

"You're probably right," Angie agreed before closing her eyes and sighing. "I'm going to miss you, English."

"And I will miss you." Peggy gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "But I'll be back in four days. I promise."

"Four days," Angie echoed.

Peggy smiled and closed the final distance between them. "Goodbye, darling," she said, pressing a final kiss against Angie's mouth.

She felt her heart almost skip a beat when Angie's lips immediately parted beneath hers, sending them into a far more intimate kiss than Peggy had planned, but she wasn't complaining. Angie obviously knew what she was doing, and Peggy was suddenly quite grateful no one was around to hear the desperate noises emanating from her.

When Angie pulled away, she wore a satisfied smile that quickly delved into a smirk when she met Peggy's shocked gaze.

"Wanted to give ya' something to remember me by while you're gone these next few days," she winked. Peggy just stared while the younger woman practically pranced back inside the front door just as the elevator doors opened behind her. It was only after the door closed that Peggy turned around. When she did, she found Howard Stark standing inside the elevator car, his previous shock now replaced by a knowing leer.

Gathering her pose, Peggy calmly strode inside and pushed the button for the lobby floor, ignoring Howard's expectant gaze. It was only after Howard cleared his throat for the third time that she finally acknowledged him, turning to stare at him with narrowed eyes.

"Unless you have a death wish, I advise you to refrain from speaking." 

Howard's mouth moved, but Peggy held up a warning finger. "Not a word, Howard."

The millionaire seemed to contemplate this for a moment before shrugging and raising his gaze to the numbers that methodically shrank as they descended.

Peggy breathed an internal sigh of relief. She knew Howard's silence was only a temporary reprieve and she'd have to explain everything at some point. But for now, she wanted to jealously guard the memory of Angie's hands in hers, pink lips pressed against her own and the sweet warmth that pervaded her senses as the young woman held her close. She shook her head and unconsciously ran a thumb across her bottom lip.

Four days was going to seem like an eternity.


End file.
